Is Cam Smith's Slump a LIV Golf Curse or Just a Rough Patch?

Let’s be real, when Cameron Smith snatched the 150th Open Championship from Rory McIlroy back in 2022, it felt like he was on top of the world. The guy had the Midas touch.

He’d already bagged the Players Championship and then, with the world at his feet, he took the LIV money and ran. Who could blame him? The wins kept rolling in, at least for a while.

But here we are, over two years later, and Smith’s winner’s circle is looking awfully lonely. In the six official world ranking events he’s bothered to show up for in 2025, he’s missed the cut in every single one. Ouch.

His world ranking has plummeted from a god-tier number two to somewhere outside the top 300. It’s a fall from grace that’s almost as shocking as finding out your favorite streamer secretly plays on easy mode.

1. What’s Really Going On With Cameron Smith?

So, what gives? Smith himself admits the pressure is finally getting to him. “I’ve played my whole career with really no expectation of playing well,” he said, which is a wild thing for a professional athlete to say out loud. “This year… I expected a lot more out of myself, particularly with how hard I’ve worked.” It seems the classic “just be cruisy” mantra that defined his mullet-rocking, devil-may-care persona has officially left the building. He talks about his game being disjointed—one day the driving is on point, the next his irons are hot, but he can never seem to get all the pieces to work together. It’s like trying to beat a final boss with a randomly generated loadout every time. Frustrating is an understatement. Adding to the chaos of his professional life, Smith’s personal life is blossoming. He got married in 2023 and is expecting his first child. You’d think that would bring some perspective, and it has. “Really, all I want now is to have a happy, healthy son rather than making as many birdies as I can,” he told Australian Golf Digest. A sweet sentiment, but it does make you wonder if the competitive fire has been dialed down a notch.

2. Is LIV Golf the Real Villain Here?

Let’s address the elephant in the room: LIV Golf. When Smith jumped ship, critics were ready to pounce. Now, they’re having a field day. Former golfer Mark Allen didn’t mince words: “I think LIV Golf has backfired for Cameron Smith, unfortunately… it just looks like LIV stuffed their game.” The argument is that LIV’s cushy, no-cut, guaranteed-payday format has softened its players. Paul McGinley, a Sky Sports expert, compared it to a Navy SEAL’s training—or lack thereof. “The training that the guys get on LIV… it’s not the same intensity as the PGA Tour,” he said. When you’re not constantly fighting for your tour card, does that killer instinct start to fade? For Smith, whose game has visibly decayed, the evidence is pretty damning. Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee even said watching Smith go to LIV “broke my heart,” seeing a player on a trajectory to greatness seemingly vanish into the “witness protection program.”

3. A Glimmer of Hope Down Under?

Despite the doom and gloom, Smith is heading into the Australian PGA Championship with a strange sense of optimism. He’s back on home soil at Royal Queensland, a course he loves and has dominated in the past. “I’m trying to go out there and not worry about it so much,” he claims, trying to recapture that old magic. But you have to wonder if he’s just telling himself that. Interestingly, LIV Golf is rumored to be ditching its 54-hole format for a traditional 72-hole tournament next season. This could be a game-changer. It gives players like Smith an extra round to climb the leaderboard and, more importantly, it’s a desperate plea for Official World Golf Ranking points. Smith’s major exemptions run out in 2027, so the clock is ticking. For now, all eyes are on Smith in Australia. Is this the start of a comeback story, or just another chapter in his slow fade from the top? If he can’t pull it together on his home turf, the questions about his career and the impact of his LIV decision will only get louder. No pressure, Cam.

• Tags:
• Cameron Smith